Electric circuit-breaker with



July 28, 1936. Re. 20,044

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT "BREAKER WITH COMPRESSED GAS BLOW-OUT A. CLERC Original Filed-Feb. 9, 1952 anal July 28, 1 93s umrso sures glht.

meme cmonrr-annaxrn'wlrn oomansssn'cas BLW0UT Andre Clerc, Villeurbanne, France, assignor'to Societe Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Belle, Paris, France Original No. 1,944,402, dated'January as, 1934,

Serial No. 591.893, February 9, 19 2. Application for reissue November-8, 1935, Serial No.

In Germany Februaryil, 1931 8 Claims. (01.200-148) My co-pendingapplication No. 503,835 flied Dec. 20th, 1930, relates to an electrlc'circuitbreaker provided with a compressed gas are blowing out device whose particularity resides in the use of at least one pair of contacts shunted by a resistance.

' According to another co-pending application I No. 549,001 filedv July 6th, 1931, the extinction of the arc is realized by blowing the said are towards one oi several main electrodes each of which is connected to one extremity of a resistance, the other extremity being connected to an auxiliary electrode.

According to they present invention, the operation of this circuit-breaker is improved. The circuit-breaker in accordance with this invention is characterized in this'that the arcblown perpendicularly to the displacement of the movable contact meets electrodes connected to the resistance to be inserted and disposed one behind the other, the length of the electrodes penetrating into the chimney, their spacing and the velocity oi blowing being so chosen that the resistance elements will shunt a certain length of that portion of the arc which is approximately parallel to the direction of the blowing.

The annexed drawing shows, diagrammatically two toms of embodimentv oi'the object oi the invention.

In this-drawing, Fig. 1 is a schematic representation oi a circuit-breaker according to-the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with modified arrangement of the electrodes, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, i shows the divergent chimney in which takes place the blowing of the are. 2 indicates the fixed contact and I the movable contact actuated by any suitable means indlcated diagrammatically, in the present instance,

by numeral 9, the direction oi the blowing is indicated by the arrows at. Behind the contacts 2 and 3 (considered in the direction of the blowing) are disposed two series of electrodes 4, 4', 4" on the one side and 5, 5', 5" on the other side, these said electrodes traversing the wall of the chimney and'being coupled together by the low resistances 6,6 6"

On the other hand, the electrode 4 is connected directly to the contact 2 and the electrode I to the movable contact 3.

The spacing between the extremities of the electrodes 4, 4' electrodes 5, ii can remain constant throughout the whole length of the series of and the extremities oi the electrodes, or as seems more advantageous this spacing can increase in the direction of the blow ing as shown in the drawing.

In the described device, the arc develops itself along the dot and dash lines b. These lines clear- 5 1y show that any two pairs oi electrodes 4-! can only be reached successively by the arc, and consequently the resistance elements 8,6 are inserted successively into the circuit. However, by reason of the high speed of development of the 10 are under the influence of the flow of air the electrodes are thrown into circuit practically simul taneously, and as a consequence the whole or the resistancesis inserted into the circuit by the time the current passes through zero for the first time. '15 At this instant the arc is 'onlrmaintalned between the electrodes i and 5" and subsists for half a period at a maximum.

Instead of utilizing two series of electrodes as indicated on the drawing, one could utilize a greater number. I I

On the other hand, the different series oi' elec trodes utilized can be disposed along diametrically opposed generatrices (intersection line between the conical chimney and'a plane on the axis at the cone), of the chimney as shown on the drawing, or along several large pitch spirals.

- Havingnow particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be periormed, Ideclare that what I claim is:

1. In a circuit-breaker, two relatively movable contacts between which an arc is adapted to be struck; means to blow onto said are a blast ofcompressed gases perpendicularly to the movable contact displacement; a. chimney adapted to surround the arc lengthened by the blast and electrodes in said chimney having resistances connected therebetween and to one of the contacts, said electrodes being placed behind the contacts and one after the other, when seen in the direction of blowing, whereby the length of electrodes projecting inside the chimney, their spacing, and the blowing speed are adapted to permit intermediary points of the arc to be blown onto the electrodes and to shunt the resistances by portions of the are parallel to the blowing direction.

2. In a circuit-breaker, two relatively movable contacts between which an arc is adapted to be struck; means to blow onto said are a blast of compressed gases perpendicularly to the movable contact displacement; a chimney adapted to surround the arc lengthened by the blast; electrodes disposed through said chimney and projecting within the same; and resistances connected to the electrodes and one or the contacts, said electrodes belngplaced behind the contacts and disposed along a high-pitched spiral.

3. A circuit-breaker comprising contacts between -which an are is adapted to be struck; means to blow a gas blast against said are, a contact being adapted to be displaced transversely I to the direction said blast; a chimney adapted to surround said contacts and the arc lengthened by said blast; a resistance; and an electrode in said chimney connected through said resistance v to one of said contacts, said electrode being tween which an'arc is adapted to be struck; means to blow a gas blast against said arc, a contact being adapted to be displaced transversely to the direction 01' said blast; a chimney adapted to surround said contacts and the arc lengthened by said blast; an'electrode projecting inside said I chimney; and a low resistance connected'to' one contact and to said electrode, the wholebeing adapted to permit an intermediatepoint oi said are to be blown against said electrode and to shunt said resistance. bya portion or said, are

which is thus extinguished, the other portion oi said are being thus placed in series with said resistance.

5. A circuit-breaker comprising contacts be-. tween which an arc is adapted to be struck; means to blow a gas blast against said arc, a contact being adapted to be displaced transversely to the direction of said blast; a chimney adapted to surround said contactsand the arc lengthened by said blast; a resistance; and an electrode in said chimney connected through said resistance 'to one" 01 said contacts, said electrode being located in the axis or the gas blast and behind said contacts viewed in the direction or the blast,'the whole being adapted to permit an' intermediate point 20f said are to be blown against said electrode and to shunt said resistance by a portion of said are which is thus extinguished, the other portion of said are being thus placed in series with said resistance.

6. A circuit-breaker comprising two relatively movable contacts between which an arc is adapted to be struck; means to blow a gas blast against said are, the path 01 relative movement 0! said contacts being transverse to the direction of said I blast; a chute adapted to surround the arc lengthened by said blast; several stationary electrodes in said chute, said electrodes being located behind said contacts viewed in the direction of said blast; ohmic resistances connected between 10 the electrodes, one of said electrodes at least being connected to one of said contacts, the whole being arranged so that several intermediate points along the arc formed between said contact are blown against said electrodes by said blast, 15 whereby fractions oi said are are shunted by a resistanceandextinguished, the remaining portions of said are being thus placed in series with said resistances.

7. A circuit breaker comprising two relatively 2U movable contacts between which an arc is'adapted to be struck; means to blow a gas blast against 1 said arc, the path 01' relative movement of said contact being transverse to the direction of said blast; a chute adapted tosurround said are lengthened by said blast; several stationary electrodes in said chute, said electrodes being located @behindsaid-contac'ts when viewed in the direction' of said" blast and symmetrically disposed on two oppositesides or said chute; ohmic resistances connected between said electrodw, one of said electrodes at least being connected to one or said contacts, the whole being arranged so that several intermediate points along the are formed between sai'd contacts are blown onto said elec- 3! trodes, whereby fractions of said are are shunted by a vresistance and extinguished, the remaining portions of said arc being thus placed in series with said resistances. i

8. A circuit-breaker comprising an arc chute 4 having divergent opposed walls; relatively movable contacts in said chute; several stationary V electrodes disposed radially in said chute; ohmic resistances connected between said electrodes, one

of said electrodes .at least being connected to one 4 of said contacts; and means for blowing a gas blast in said chute transversely to the path of relative movement of said contacts-and along said electrodes.

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